Setting
What state does this book take place in?
Pennsylvania
What motivates Berniece's refusal to play the piano?
She refuses to play because it reminds her of her family’s painful history of slavery and loss
This feeling of tension and conflict is present throughout the play, especially between family members
This family heirloom is at the center of the conflict
The piano
Where did Boy Willie and Lymon work?
Sutter’s Farm
How is Berneice’s refusal connected to her desire to protect her family?
Berneice believes playing the piano will bring back the family’s suffering, so she hides it to protect them from the past
Nostalgic
This character wants to sell the piano to buy land
Boy Willie
What decade in the 20th century is the play set in?
1930s
What drives Boy Willie to sell the piano?
Boy Willie wants to sell it to buy land and gain independence
The play conveys a hopeful tone about the future despite its past struggles
Determined or Resilient
This character wants to keep the piano as a symbol of family history
Berniece
The practice that deeply influences the family's history in the play
Slavery
How are Lymon and Boy Willie different from each other?
Boy Willie is loud, ambitious, and bold while Lymon is quiet, kind, and more cautious about taking risks
This tone is felt when characters wrestle with the weight of their family's past
Heavy or Burdened
The resolution involves the decision to do this with the piano
Keep the piano in the family
The era marked by economic hardship and racial segregation in the play
The Great Depression
How do the various ghosts (Sutter, the ghosts of Yellow Dog, and the Ancestors) represent the unresolved issues and history of the Charles family?
The ghosts symbolize the family’s painful past of slavery, racism, and loss that still haunts them until they face it and make peace.
This tone shows when characters feel pride but also sadness about their families legacy
Bittersweet
This play reveals this event that caused the family to lose their land
The betrayal by Sutter